When you don't get enough sleep, all kinds of crap crosses your mind...

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Signs in Houston, Part 2

This weekend my father and I went to the appliance store to look at stoves. On the way home, we passed a family medical clinic. It's been under construction for months. In fact, I think it was already open for business while parts of the building were still being constructed.

This clinic is located in a lower to lower middle class community. I am assuming that this explains the need for a clinic, as opposed to some fancy shmancy, 12 story medical office building. I'm glad it's there; the people really do need to feel like they are getting quality medical care, and there are few things more comforting in life than to be sitting in a clean exam room, as opposed to one with empty blood tubes on the floor under the exam table, or worse, cockroaches.

The lettering on the outside wall is big and bold, supposedly acting as a beacon to the surrounding families. The different sections of the building have their specialties emblazoned in the same manner. "FAMILY PRACTICE." "PEDIATRICS." "GYNECOLOGIST."

Yeah, you read that right. In big glowing letters (that's right, GLOWING) about 10 or 15 feet across is the word GYNECOLOGIST. Not Obestrician or Women's Health.

My father offered his opinion on the matter.

Dad: What the hell kind of dumbass clinic puts "GYNECOLOGIST" in big ole letters over the front door?Me: Um...Dad: Who wants to be seen walking into a building that's marked like that?Me: They could have put OB/GYN or obstetrician. It's more or less the same thing.Dad: So why didn't they put that?Me: I don't know...they thought it would be better advertising for this community? There are a lot of pregnant teenagers around that area...

In any case, I kind of agree with my dad on one point: nobody, particularly men, wants to see the word GYNECOLOGIST on the side of the road in giant glowing letters as they're driving home and about to eat dinner. It's the kind of thing most men don't really want to think about, period.